Legacies
by PrairieLily
Summary: 10 years post Twilight, 8 year olds Caitlin McGee and JT DiNozzo prove to all that they have inherited the qualities that have made their parents so very good at what they do. McAbby obviously! and TonyFaith. Chapters 10 of 10 up COMPLETE
1. Morning Rush Hour

**Title:** Legacies

**Rating:** T. Some language, but otherwise just some drama and working of a very important case.

**Pairings:** McAbby and Tony/Faith. What would they be? Fony? Taith? LOL!

**Disclaimer:** Not my characters, with the exception of Caitlin McGee, JT DiNozzo, Michaela and Jeremy Palmer, and Harlan Grady.

**Summary:** A dramatic turn of events prove to all that Caitlin McGee and JT DiNozzo have inherited the qualities that have made their parents so very good at what they do.

* * *

**Morning Rush Hour**

_10 years post-Twilight_

"But, Daaaaaaaaaady," the young girl protested. Her father levelled a steady look at her. "Don't you "but Daddy" me. This isn't negotiable."

"Daaaaaaaaddyyyy," she pleaded, pulling out the big guns. Her father scowled at her, unmoved by the display. "No. That's my final answer."

The young girl with the dark pigtails and Union Jack barrettes fired back the scowl she'd inherited from her father - the very same one he was giving her right now. When he crossed his arms by way of a warning and raised an eyebrow, the scowl turned into a pout.

"Caitlin Abigail, save that look for when it'll do you some good," he said, the calm tone in his voice beginning to give way to impatience.

Finally, resigned, she sat down, crossing her arms with a loud, dissatisfied "humph." Just then, his cell phone rang. He gave his daughter one last warning glance, then flipped the phone open. He saw who it was and smiled.

"Hey Abs," he said, grinning. The pouting little girl on the couch looked up, her face lighting up at the mention of her mom, the previous disagreement with her father suddenly forgotten.

"Hey Baby! How're things going there? Things fall apart yet?" she teased.

Tim chuckled. "Everything's cool. The situation is in hand, as always. YOUR daughter is trying to assert her independence, though… nothing serious."

"MY daughter? Oh-oh. And what independence? She's 8 years old."

Tim sighed. "Try telling HER that. Hang on, I think she wants to talk to you," he said, glancing down and seeing her standing beside him, a look of sweet expectation on her face. He bent down and whispered to her, "Don't be long, Princess. We're leaving in 5." He quickly kissed the top of her head and handed her the phone. Caitlin grinned up at him and said, "Got it, Daddy." Her attention turned to her mom, and Tim went off to gather his things.

……………………………………………………………………

"JT, hurry up, we're gonna be late! You know how Gibbs hates it when I'm late!" Tony yelled up the stairs.

"Coming dad," he yelled down, thudding noises coming from the upstairs level of the house.

"When will your mother be back," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. Faith was off on assignment but was due to return at some point that day. At which point exactly, he wasn't quite sure. He just knew that on rare occasions, a certain combination of unforeseen circumstances dictated for him to take his son with him to work. This day had seen those circumstances materialize. He wondered if Tim was having the same issues this morning as he was. He grinned evilly at the thought that if he was, considering he had a daughter instead of a son, maybe his morning was going 10 times worse. He and Tim might be best friends NOW, but every now and again, remnants of the old rivalry resurfaced, just for old time's sake. A small, diabolical chuckle escaped his throat.

The sound of thudding sock feet descending the stairs met Tony's ears. JT stopped at the door to put on his shoes, seemingly not missing a beat. Tony reached out and opened the door, letting his hurried son through the exit and out to the car.

……………………………………………………………………

Tim checked his rearview mirror and glanced at Caitlin through it. "Did your mom say when she'll be getting back?" he asked her. Caitlin turned to look at him through the mirror. "I think she said late this afternoon. She was at the airport." Tim smiled. "How do you know that?"

Caitlin grinned at him, her eyes lighting up much like Abby's when she was about to reveal some wonderful and insightful clue about an unsolved mystery.

"I could hear all the airport noises in the background. And someone was really really mad and swearing about how they'd paid for their seat and just got bumped for the third time and they were never flying with them ever again. Will JT be at the office today, Daddy?"


	2. Uncle Gibbs

**Uncle Gibbs**

Jethro Gibbs sighed, unhappy. Abby wasn't back yet from her conference, and Faith wasn't back yet either, from her latest assignment. That meant, God help them all, that Caitlin McGee and JT DiNozzo would be accompanying their fathers to work. Well, at least they had Ducky and Palmer to keep them out of trouble. Fortunately, things were slow in autopsy that day, Ducky only had two bodies in his cooler, neither of which were urgent, so long as they were completed at some point that day, and the rest of their day would be taken up with paperwork.

But even Gibbs had to admit that some part of him was looking forward to seeing the kids. Katie was a good girl, if a bit spunky at times, like her mother… but for the most part she was quietly observant. You just had to be careful around her, that was all. Not much got past her sparkling green eyes and keen ears.

And JT had gone through his really precocious years already. Granted, he was a true DiNozzo and as such, was prone to mischief, but it was never meant for the sake of making trouble. He just didn't always think sometimes before he acted. Most of all though, JT was just like his father in that he was highly observant, and quick on the draw - a trait that more often than not got him out of serious trouble, if it didn't keep him out of it altogether. Not a bad quality to have, really.

…………………………………………………………………………

"Caitlin, slow down, you're gonna cause a…" Tim called frantically as his daughter dashed out of the elevator, JT on her heels.

Gibbs looked down as the dark haired girl ran smack into him, and Tim sighed heavily as he just managed to say, "… collision. Sorry, Boss," he said, stepping out of the elevator with an extra coffee in his hands.

Gibbs tried to frown at the sheepishly smiling child glued to his waist. "Hi Uncle Gibbs," she said sweetly, gazing up at him adoringly. JT had managed to skid to a halt just in time, coming to a stop right behind Caitlin. He looked up at Gibbs with the most charming DiNozzo smile he could muster. "Hey," he said simply.

"Hey yourself," he said, smiling warmly in spite of himself. "Jimmy is waiting for you downstairs," Gibbs said. The two 8 year-olds glanced at each other and promptly took off, sent on their way with a gentle whap on their backsides, courtesy of Gibbs.

"Sorry 'bout that," Tony said, grimacing. Gibbs smiled sweetly, a smile that sometimes caused chills to run down his Agents' backs, as he reached out and took the cup of coffee from Tim's offering hand. "You're early. I'm impressed," he said, sipping from the cup and walking away. Tony and Tim looked at each other and shrugged, then headed off to their respective desks to start their day's work.


	3. Danger Looming

**Danger Looming**

Outside, in the parking lot, an A/C repair van sat, quietly parked. The lone occupant had observed from afar as two cars had pulled up and parked. Just who he'd been waiting for. He smiled. Sofar, so good.

His smile turned into a cold grin, as he watched not just the drivers emerge from their vehicles, but their kids, from the backseats as well.

This was turning out even better than he'd hoped.

He checked the mirror one last time, to be sure his disguise was flawless, then reached over, grabbed his toolbox, and got out of the van.

…………………………………………………………………

Caitlin and JT snuck as quietly as they could into Ducky's office, tiptoeing towards the dark-haired figure standing at the filing cabinet. Trying desperately not to giggle, the reached out in unison and grabbed at the sides of the unsuspecting assistant M.E.

Dr. Jimmy Palmer fairly jumped out of his skin as he whipped around, wide-eyed, but nonetheless delighted to see the two youngsters in his midst.

"There you are!" he said, laughing. He crouched down and gathered them into his arms, giving them a hug.

"Now, let's see… I wonder what Dr. Mallard had planned for you today," he said, mysteriously. Caitlin smiled up at him. "Can we sort files or something?" JT groaned. "Caitlin, that's so DULL," he complained. "Yeah, JT," she said disdainfully, "but it keeps you out of trouble. And as long as we stay out of trouble, Uncle Gibbs doesn't mind us being here."

"Actually," Jimmy said, smiling, "I DO happen to have a stack here that needs to be alphabetised. Can you handle that?"

JT grinned. "Does The Song that Never Ends really never end?" he asked, winking at Caitlin.

"Riiiiiiight," Jimmy said, carefully. "Well then, in that case, I'm not sure but I THINK I may have a new game installed on my laptop," he said, drawing delighted smiles. "I'll just be in the next room. If you need anything, you know how to find me. Dr. Mallard is in autopsy, so you'd better not wander off trying to find him. He shouldn't be long though." He tousled JT's hair and wiggled one of Caitlin's pigtails as he departed.

He didn't notice anything unusual about the presence of the A/C repairman, so he was taken totally by surprise when the hand came over his mouth from behind with a chloroform soaked rag, and he slid to the floor, unconscious.

…………………………………………………………………

When Jimmy came to, he was disoriented. His head hurt like a bastard, and at first, he had no idea what had hit him. He shook his head, and slowly got to his feet.

The moment he was able to think coherently, his paternal instincts kicked in immediately, and his first thought was of Caitlin and JT. He scrambled into Ducky's office, where he'd last seen them, but they were nowhere to be seen.

His initial reaction might have been that they were playing hide-and-go-seek with him. But the fact that he'd just been rendered unconscious by a person unknown had prevented that whimsical thought from fully materializing. He immediately backed out of the room, being sure not to touch anything, and tried to keep from panicking as he dashed from room to room, frantically trying to locate the missing children. A feeling of dread washed over him as he realized what must have happened. He wasted no time dashing upstairs to the bullpen.


	4. Panic

**Panic**

Caitlin and JT didn't have a clue where they were. All they knew was that they were in a vehicle of some kind, and it was very, very dark. There was a funny smell coming up from below, and Caitlin wasn't sure what it was, but it smelled like that tar stuff that Mr. Follows from next door used to seal his driveway with every year. Caitlin tried not to panic, but she couldn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks.

JT was equally frightened, but he was more concerned with his companion than himself. He couldn't see anything either, and he gingerly reached out, trying to orient himself. Caitlin jumped as his hands found her arm, and she let out a little scream.

He wiggled as close to her as his bindings would allow, and tried to whisper to her. She calmed down somewhat at the realization that she wasn't alone, and together, they lay, waiting for the car to stop.

……………………………………………………………

"McGee, how are those phone records coming?" Gibbs asked. "Still working on it Boss," Tim answered. "This guy has four cell phones. Who has four cell phones, anyway?" Gibbs said nothing, thinking it was enough hassle to have to have ONE of the damned things, let alone FOUR, and went over to Tony's desk. "Got an address for me yet DiNozzo?" Tony looked up and grinned. "Give me 2 minutes, and I will." Gibbs gave him a look. "You've got one," he said briskly.

Just then, Jimmy Palmer came dashing into the bullpen. He took a quick look around, and his anxious expression melted into one of sheer horror. "Agent DiNozzo, Agent McGee… I don't suppose JT and Caitlin are down here, are they?" McGee frowned. "No… why?" Tony looked up. "You lost our kids, Palmer?"

Jimmy visibly paled, and his voice broke as he stammered "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry… I don't know what happened, Oh God, oh God…" Gibbs went over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Palmer, calm down. What happened?"

Jimmy took a deep breath. "I left them in Dr. Mallard's office, I was just going next door to my own office, I swear it. I wasn't gonna be 10 feet away from them the entire time. Someone came up from behind…" Gibbs' nose twitched, as he caught a scent coming from Palmer's face. "Chloroform," he said, as he sprinted out of the bullpen.

McGee and DiNozzo exchanged a look, then the two men arose from their chairs and bolted out behind Gibbs.

Jimmy stood, stunned. He swallowed back bile as his head began to spin. He just managed to reach a waste paper basket, when he vomited.


	5. Calm Intervenes

**Calm Intervenes**

They still didn't know where they were, but they knew they were still moving.

JT had managed finally to wriggle his hands free of his bindings, and up towards Caitlin's pigtails, and in turn, had also dislodged the blindfold keeping him in the dark. He looked down when he noticed daylight coming from a hole in the floor. The carpet was partially covering it, but it was big enough to see the road below them rushing by, and that was all he needed.

He reached out, and released Caitlin's hands.

"Caitlin," he whispered, "I need one of your hair thingies." Caitlin didn't question why, she just nodded. Carefully, he worked one of her barrettes free, and dropped it down the hole. He waited a while longer, then dropped her other one down.

In the meantime, Caitlin freed herself of the blindfold. She looked around, trying to figure out where they were, when she remembered her cell phone.

……………………………………………………………

Tim and Tony were trying very hard not to panic, not to run screaming from the building in blind rage, not to grab their weapons and rush out in search of the son of a bitch who had abducted their children.

Gibbs could see nothing but red.

He snapped on gloves as he entered the office, and quickly looked around. He surveyed the scene with a practiced eye, and quickly but meticulously searched every nook and cranny. His two agents stood at the doorway, not sure what to do. They were trained for this, but these were their kids that had just been taken. They didn't want to compromise anything, but at the same time, it was taking the greatest effort of will to keep themselves from dashing in and getting in Gibbs' way.

Tim scrutinized the room from where he stood. His eyes fell on something by the pile of file folders on the floor. "Tony, do you see that?" he asked, crouching down. DiNozzo looked at him, not sure what he was talking about. He crouched down next to him, then his eyes followed Tim's pointing hand. His eyes grew wide, and he looked back at Tim.

"Boss," Tony said suddenly, "over there, by the files. What is that?"

Gibbs carefully walked over to the pile of folders, and looked underneath.

He smiled slightly as his gloved fingers picked up a small button, embossed with the name "I.C. A/C."

"That, boys, is our first clue." He dropped the button into a small brown envelope. "Get this to the lab. McGee, try to find a print on this. I have a feeling it'll be either JT or Katie. You have their prints, don't you?" Tim nodded. "Yeah, from a Stay Safe program at their school. Prints, DNA sample, current photo, everything we'd need, in case…" he trailed off, swallowing hard. Gibbs walked over to them, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "We'll find them. They're gonna be just fine." Tony blinked, his eyes reflecting fear. He looked at Tim, who reached up and rested a hand on his other shoulder. Gibbs spoke again, "Tony, trace that business name. Find out who's working for I.C. A/C. Get a complete employee list." He refrained from telling them what they already knew - that time was of the essence. "I'll be upstairs looking for witnesses. This is a federal office building. Someone HAD to have seen something, or the security cameras must have picked something up."


	6. Trail of Clues

**Trail of Clues**

Abby skipped her way down the hallway. She had managed to catch an early flight, there were no delays, and she was home way ahead of schedule. She couldn't wait to see Tim and their little girl again.

She knew that they'd be at the office, so she headed there, right after changing out of her travel clothes, fixing her hair, and freshening her makeup.

She entered her lab, only to see her husband, looking paler than she'd ever seen him in her life, diligently processing something for fingerprints.

……………………………………………………………

Caitlin thought hard before turning on her phone. What if someone tried to call her? The ring would tip off whoever had taken them. Then she remembered - the vibrate setting. She squinted, and hoped her hardest that nobody would be able to hear the tone of the buttons being pushed.

Once she had her phone on, she sent a text message to her Dad.

JT, in the meantime, had found other things to drop down the hole. Caitlin's hair scrunchies - a distinctive shade of pink, two in number. He untied his shoes, and shoved the laces through the small opening. Then, finally, he searched his pockets and found the note that his mom had given him, with the phone number where she could be reached if he started to miss her.

Caitlin, besides her hair accessories, had contributed to the trail of crumbs as well. Down the hole went her small emerald birthstone ring - the one with her initial "C" on it, as well as her own shoe laces, and a necklace that Auntie Faith had given to her on one of their "girls only" shopping trips with her and her Mom.

They sat back, trying not to panic, and waited.

……………………………………………………………

Abby was near panic herself, but was trying not to show it. Their little girl's life might very well depend on her staying cool and collected.

Anyway, she wanted to be in a proper state of mind when they found the dirty bastard who'd taken her and JT. Panic and hysterics were not conducive to what she had in mind.

Tim had filled her in as best he could, and together they processed what little evidence they had.

They confirmed that the print on the button was indeed Caitlin's, and Tony had found a full list of the employees at I.C. A/C. But sofar, all of the names on the list had turned up clean as a whistle.

Tim was startled when his phone chimed. He opened it up and saw that he had a text message in his inbox, from Caitlin. "That's my girl," he whispered. He held his breath as he opened the message and read it.

"tar smell, hair things, help us daddy."

"What the hell does she mean, Tim?" Abby said, starting to panic again. Tim held up a hand, shushing her momentarily as he sent back a message.

"We're looking for you Princess. Keep your phone on. Love you."

He pushed send and then turned back to Abby. "Tar smell, that's what she calls it when Mr. Follows fixes his driveway every year. Fresh tar, maybe? Road construction, an old building having a roof repaired? I don't know Abs," he said, as he dashed over to the lab computer and started a GPS trace on the phone. "Damnit," he swore in frustration. "The signal is unstable. Why the hell is she so hard to nail down?"

"Wait, Tim. Hair things. How was her hair done up this morning?" Tim looked at her, thinking. "Pigtails, like usual. Her pink terry hair ties, the Union Jack barrettes that Ducky brought back for her from his last trip home to England."

Abby's face lit up as she realized what the kids might have done.


	7. Guilt and Reassurances

**Guilt and Reassurances**

Jimmy Palmer was a wreck.

Ducky had tried to reassure him that he'd done nothing wrong, but Jimmy would hear nothing of it. "I shouldn't have left them alone, Dr. Mallard. This is my fault."

Ducky shook his head sadly and placed a comforting hand on Jimmy's back. "Jimmy, you couldn't have known, my boy. This is a federal office building, after all. You had every reason to believe they'd be safe by themselves. You were only 10 feet away."

"Ducky's right, Palmer," Tony said from the doorway. "This isn't your fault. I don't blame you and I'm sure McGee doesn't either."

He walked over to the distraught assistant medical examiner. "Jimmy, you've got two kids of your own. You're a great dad and I know you would have fought like a damned wildcat if you could have." But Tony's attempts at reassurance were in vain.

Finally, Tony sat down. "Jimmy, remember when JT was around 6 years old, and he stole your voice recorder?" Ducky smiled. "The young lad filled the entire thing with farting noises." The word sounded odd coming from Ducky. Palmer smiled slightly at the memory. "I went to transcribe my notes and all I could write was "The victim most likely died from chronic flatulence." Tony chuckled softly. "And he had an accomplice, Caitlin was in on it, too. She stole that farting stuffed animal from her Mom's lab for them to use. McGee told me she 'fessed up after Abby discovered it was missing. And in the end, both Caitlin and my adorable son managed to get away with a slap on the wrist."

Jimmy smiled weakly. "They looked at me with those big beautiful eyes… and I didn't have the heart to prosecute," he shrugged.

The three men were silent for a moment, then Tony spoke again. "Palmer, my point is, JT and Katie are smart kids, and they're resourceful. Nobody's more scared than Abby and Tim and I, but we can take comfort in knowing that they're actively trying to help us find them."

Jimmy sighed. "I know, Agent DiNozzo, it's just that… it doesn't matter how smart or resourceful you are when you're 8 years old. The world is still bigger and stronger than you are when you're that young."

Tony glanced sadly at Ducky, who smiled comfortingly at him. Ducky turned his attention to Palmer.

"Jimmy, why don't you take the rest of the day off. I'm sure you will be able to take some measure of comfort from being with your own children. Anyway, I'm sure that Michaela and Jeremy would love to have you around for the afternoon."

Jimmy nodded, then arose, and started towards the door. Tony followed behind him, and before Palmer could exit through the doorway, Tony laid a hand on his arm. "WHEN we find them, we'll let you know, immediately. No worries," he said. "And for the last time, you're a full fledged M.E. now, and we've known each other a long time, long enough now that I really am okay with you calling me Tony. McGee prefers Tim, by the way." Tony smiled warmly.

Jimmy's eyes flashed gratitude, as he said, "Thank you, Agent Di… uh, Tony," then turned around and headed out.

Tony turned back to Ducky. "How is he, REALLY?"

Ducky shook his head sadly. "Terrified, doubting himself, guilt-ridden. All of the expected emotions. He's been severely torn between staying here to ensure for himself that your children are found, and rushing home to reassure himself that his own two are safe." Tony nodded, saying, "Hm." Before he left, he said, "We'll let you know as soon as we have any updates." Ducky thanked him, and then he turned and headed down the hallway.


	8. Finding the Forest

**Finding the Forest**

Gibbs strode into the lab. "Welcome back Abs," he said, almost as an afterthought. Abby didn't say anything, but looked at him in acknowledgement.

"Caitlin sent a text message, Boss," Tim said. "I initiated a trace on her phone, but I'm having trouble nailing down her position for some reason." He paused, and brought his hand up to his head, running it through his short hair. "What really worries me is that she never remembers to keep her phone charged. I don't know how much juice she's got left in her battery."

Gibbs nodded. "What did she say, Tim," he asked suddenly.

Tim shook his head. "Not much. Something about tar smell, and her hair things. I don't know for sure what she meant about the tar but we think that wherever she is, she's maybe been leaving us a trail to follow."

Gibbs sighed in frustration. "A trail. Now we just need to find the right damned forest."

…………………………………………………………………

Tony was getting frustrated.

He'd traced every name on the damned list and nothing was coming up. His only conclusion, therefore, was that perhaps the uniform had been stolen. He sighed heavily, then headed down to the lab.

When he reached it, he found Tim, Abby, and Gibbs, in a huddle of sorts.

"Tar," Gibbs was saying. "Probably not a roof being repaired, unless it's close to the road. And they're probably still on the move… Is there any road repair going on in this area?" Tim blinked, and smiled for the first time since this whole nightmare had began. "Already on it, Boss," he said, as he wheeled over to the computer and checked on the progress of the search.

Gibbs sat down, thinking. If they had found some way of leaving a trail, that was Katie McGee and JT DiNozzo for you. He closed his eyes briefly and sent up a quick prayer of thanks that they were smart and resourceful kids.

Tony approached them. "Nothing on the employee list. The uniform must have been stolen, or…" he trailed off, and a look of wide-eyed comprehension crossed his worried face. "Maybe a former employee, who kept the uniform for old time's sake? Thanks Boss!" he said excitedly, as he dashed out suddenly. Gibbs blinked and shook his head. "Anytime, DiNozzo," he said quietly.

"There are three roads under repair within a 40 mile radius," Tim reported back. "One under construction but I doubt they'd be on that one. Too many obstacles."

Gibbs shook his head. "Not good enough. We're wasting time here. We need to know which road they're on."

Tim thought carefully, wondering if he should risk eating up precious minutes of Caitlin's remaining standby time with her phone, by sending another message. Finally, after a moment, he knew what he needed to do.

…………………………………………………………………

Caitlin scowled in concentration. "Do you hear that?" she asked JT. "Hear what?" her companion replied, then his face lit up. "Oh, you mean that train sound?"

Caitlin smiled. Time to send Daddy another message.


	9. Diligence Rewarded

**Diligence Rewarded**

Abby rested her head in her hands, tired and frustrated. It was getting harder and harder to swallow back the fear she was feeling, and now her head was starting to feel like a bunch of conga dancers were going to town inside her skull.

Tim paused a moment, and crouched down next to Abby's chair. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and resting his cheek next to hers, said softly, "We'll find them, Abby. They're smart kids."

Tony reappeared suddenly, having concluded that the employee list was, for the moment at least, a dead end, and wanting to see if he could lend a hand in the lab. He moved over to Abby's other side, wrapping an arm around her other shoulder. "Hell yeah, they're smart," he said gently. "Caitlin's smart as a whip, I mean, look at her parents. She can't help it. And JT, if it weren't for his classic DiNozzo savvy he'd never keep himself out of trouble. My boy never misses a trick, just like his old man." Abby and Tim looked at him. They appreciated the display of bravado, but they weren't the least bit fooled by it.

"What can I do? I'm at a dead end, I might as well lend a hand here." Tony asked Tim, whispering quietly. Tim smiled at him. "You know how to track GPS, right?" Tony grinned. "I've picked up a few things working with you over the years." Tim smiled and shrugged, saying, "That road travels in both directions, my friend. Follow me," he said, waving Tony over to one of Abby's computers.

Tim had his phone in hand, ready to send a message to Caitlin, when it chimed. Abby walked over to her computer, peering over Tony's shoulder, and her face lit up. "There they are!" she squealed, excitedly. Let's go get them already!"

Tim looked at the message, Tony glancing over towards him.

"train sounds."

Abby's excitement was quickly quashed as the GPS blip vanished from the screen.

"No no no no nooooooo!" she wailed.

…………………………………………………………………

"JT, my phone died," Caitlin said, fearfully. "Now they'll never find us."

JT thought a second, then remembered his own phone. "Wait Katie," he said. He wriggled around until he found his phone, then flipped it open and turned it on.

…………………………………………………………………

"Train sounds," Tim repeated. Tony's face lit up in comprehension, and his eyes followed Tim as he went back to his search, and sighed with relief. "One of the roads under repair is parallel to a railroad track."

Abby was near panic when she thought of something.

"Tony, JT has a cell phone, doesn't he?" Tony nodded, then grinned. "I'll trace his number, maybe he has it on. In fact," he said, as he punched keys, "I'd almost guarantee that if Peanut's phone crapped out, JT turned his on."

"Boss, I think we found the forest," Tim said, as Gibbs walked in to the lab. Tony fairly jumped for joy as he watched the computer screen, and suddenly, the signal reappeared. "Got em!" he said excitedly. "I'll get the car," he said, sprinting out of the lab.

…………………………………………………………………

The car raced down the road, throwing up loose stones coated in road tar. The sticky stuff would be a bugger to get off the car later on, but they really didn't care at that point.

McGee watched the GPS, keeping an eye on the signal. "Hang a right up here, Boss," he said, trying to remain calm.

In the backseat, Tony was sending a message to his son. "On our way Slugger. Hang tight. We're coming for you."

…………………………………………………………………

The way Gibbs was driving, passing the lumbering van wasn't much of a problem. The car skidded to a halt in the middle of the narrow backroad, sending up a spray of gravel, and the three agents emerged, weapons drawn.

The driver didn't put up much of a fight, all things considered he might have been crazy, but he wasn't stupid. He didn't fight them as Gibbs cuffed him, and Tony and Tim rushed over to the van, opening the back doors.

…………………………………………………………………

JT had gotten the message from his Dad, and he held his breath as he and Caitlin felt the van come to a stop, after hearing a car speed by, crunching gravel, and flying stones rapping against the back door of the vehicle they were in.

They lay, quiet as mice, squeezing each other's hands, terrified of who would take them this time.

They held their breath as they heard the doors open, and then suddenly, the heavy tarp that covered them was lifted, and they found themselves in the safe, strong arms of their fathers.


	10. Smart Agents, Smart Agents' Kids

**Smart Agents, Smart Agents' Kids**

Afterwards, in the bullpen, they discussed the case, more for Abby and Ducky's benefit than anything.

"Harlan Grady, identical twin brother of a sociopathic Lieutenant we sent to Leavenworth about 3 years ago. Used to work for I.C. A/C. He was canned not long ago, sounds like he was really creeping out some of their female customers." Abby snorted disdainfully. "Sounds like the A/C wasn't the only thing giving them the chills." Tony nodded. "Yeah, and I guess he kept the uniform for the good memories," Tony said, his hand gently resting protectively on the boy sleeping safely on his lap. "And, that junked old van. The company replaced their fleet earlier this year. They weren't even missing it."

"Twins, huh?" Tim said. "Two nutcases in a pod. "Guess he was out for revenge." He closed his eyes then rested his cheek on the top of his sleeping daughter's hair for a moment. He sighed, then opened his eyes and lifted his head.

Gibbs spoke up. "Tim, did you figure out why Katie's signal was so elusive?"

Tim sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. "She's dropped her phone a few… dozen times. I'm thinking it's just about FUBAR'd. I checked it and the battery wasn't making proper contact. That's why it kept shutting itself off. Then it died altogether. Guess it's time for a new one." Tony snorted. "One thing I know, MY kid won't EVER be without a cell phone."

Abby was sitting beside Tim, her head resting on his shoulder. She reached out and stroked her sleeping daughter's cheek, then rested her hand on her hair, sighing with contentment. "My kid either," she added. "Never ever ever."

Tony gazed down at his sleeping son, then turned and looked at Tim. "You know, I don't think the kids were part of his original plan. From what I can gather he WAS gonna try taking you and me. Then he saw JT and Caitlin and modified the grand scheme. They were just an easier target, that's all."

Ducky tilted his head. "And Jimmy was by himself with them. One adult is easier to subdue than two." Gibbs suddenly said, "Did anyone let him know we found them, by the way?"

Tony nodded. "He was the first call I made. I've never heard anyone sound so relieved." Ducky smiled, then glanced over as Palmer appeared suddenly at the top of the steps. "Jimmy, come join us," he said, warmly, waving the young M.E. over. Palmer grinned, seeing the kids safe and sound once again, and finally feeling more at ease. "Agent Mc… damn. Tim, Tony, you guys have a couple of amazing kids. Oh, you too, Abby," he said, winking as Abby shot him a mock scowl.

"We sure do, Jimmy. The trail of crumbs, now that was a good idea," Tim said, smiling suddenly, and nodding proudly. "We didn't need it, but it was still a good idea. Definitely didn't hurt. Five'll get ya ten that JT thought of that one." He smiled warmly at Tony's sleeping boy.

Jimmy gazed at the two kids. "I'm just glad they're alright. I got home and it was all I could do to not wake up my kids. I just stared at them, watching them sleep, couldn't take my eyes off them." He sighed, looking briefly to Ducky. "I know I took an oath to do no harm, but… if I'd had half a chance, if I'd caught that guy, I would've gladly put him on one of our tables. And I'm a doctor. I know how to do it," he added, with a diabolical gleam in his eyes. Ducky chuckled softly. "Yes, my boy, you certainly do. As do I," he said, his voice taking on an eerie, mysterious tone.

Tony nodded, grinning at the image, then turned and said to Tim, "I'm just glad Peanut is as smart as you and Abby. GPS," he said, shaking his head with irony. "Most 8 year olds don't even know what that is."

Gibbs spoke up. "Hell, Tony, some 48 year olds don't know what that is." He drew amused looks from his team, then he cleared his throat, feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious all of a sudden. "Not that I'm saying I'm 48, of course," he said, with a mischievous smile.

Tim shrugged. "JT knows what it is. Caitlin isn't the only 8 year old that's smarter than the average bear. They make a good team, don't they?" Abby looked up and smiled. "Of COURSE they do, McGee," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and there was nothing else she could possibly say to elaborate on the matter.

Gibbs sat back and smiled. Smart agents, smart agents' kids. Sure made his job a helluva lot easier.


End file.
